Terrible Things
by Trading.My.Yesterdays
Summary: "Because life can do terrible things." The lessons that a father must teach his son are sometimes the hardest. Especially when they are a product of a twisted, broken heart. Rated M for yaoi, mentioned mpreg, character death, and limes.
1. The Most Beautiful Thing I'd Ever Seen

So this is my debut on FanFiction...I guess that I should introduce myself. xD Hello! I'm a band student from the deep south who found KuroFai on accident when I was really into Tsubasa...I didn't even realize that they could be together until I'd gotten into yaoi about two years later. =/ I'm a fail. BUT I did fall in love with the pairing, and now write a lot for them...I'm thinking of several stories that I'm about to embark on, but to give the Tsubasa fandom a good representation about what I'm about, I decided that this would be the first.

****All credit goes to CLAMP and to Mayday Parade, who provide the couple, the lyrics, and the inspiration for this FanFiction**

I heard this song, and immediately thought about what it would be to KuroFai and SaruMi (Saru and Yata from K Project) thanks to a friend of mine. :) But I'm not good at writing Saru...and I still kinda make Kurogane a little OOC...but ah well. We'll see how things pan out. Anyway, I hope that you guys like the first chapter of this fourshot series. ^.^ I'm going to try my best to update with speed, hoping that all of you guys still like the story and want it to continue.

Also...a little reviewing never hurt anyone. ;)

**WARNING. This FanFiction contains yaoi, hints of mpreg, and some limes. It's rated M to be safe. If you don't like that stuff...then scoot yourself on to another story. **

With that, I hope that you guys enjoy! ^.^

* * *

"Because life can do terrible things."

xxxx

There weren't many nights in which Kurogane actually wanted to hear him play the piano...but tonight was one of those nights. The ones where the raven drew inside of himself, looking far away at something that, no matter how hard he tried, Yui could never see.

"Dad...are you sure?" The boy asked hesitantly, pale blue orbs fixing themselves on the red of his father's. The older male's eyes slid to his son, nodding once before looking out the window again, as though searching the hills for something that he'd lost. But Yui knew the truth; his father would search and search...but what he was trying to find was completely out of his reach.

Yui's feet padded softly to the corner of the room, over the wood floors that were worn with the trampling of little feet from the years. The boy's elegant hands went to an awkwardly shaped object in the corner of the room, covered in an off-white sheet. With one fluid motion, he pulled on the fabric. It slid off of the piano with a soft '_whoosh_ ', revealing the gleaming black surface underneath. It glowed in the low light of the fireplace, the dancing flames reflected in the polished ebony. The boy's fingers gently swept over the lid of the instrument, carefully sliding it back to reveal the bone white keys. Keys that were only a few shades lighter than his own fingers.

"What would you like to hear, Father?"

The raven was quiet for a moment, as though considering what he wanted to hear...but this was always uncalled for. He never picked anything else but a certain melody – the first song that Yui had learned on the piano when he was younger.

"That one you always play...,"

Yui nodded his head, placing his fingers over the keys. Moments later, a medium paced three note melody, played over and over again. Out of the corner of the boy's eye, he caught his father slipping his eyes closed, sighing at the sound of the beautiful music. This song was so easy...but it was his favorite. It was consistant; the notes would change, but the three note rhythm never did. It was safe, secure...not risky, like some of the other pieces that he played. Yui had always liked to keep to the sidelines, watching everyone else – he was a lot like his old man in that way. After all, Kurogane was all he had; he didn't want to join in playing with the other children. He needed to stay with his father, to make sure that the adult wouldn't break in half. There was something in his eyes...something delicate, something fragile; Yui wanted to protect it, to keep his father together if it was at all possible.

The raven haired boy couldn't remember a day that it hadn't been this way. His father had just always been this way...always by himself, looking up at the sky with a longing so piercing, it made Yui want to cry for him. It had been sixteen years at this point...sixteen years in which he had grown up always looking after his father, trying to keep him from going over the brink.

Not that Kurogane was a bad father; the reality was quite the opposite. He had always been there for every game, every elementary school play, every school festival...even though he'd worked a lot, he had made time for his son. He had played with Yui constantly when he was younger, given him hugs and rubbed his hair affectionately when he did something well. They had a great relationship...which was why Yui was so concerned for him. Before, he'd only seen that look on his father's face a few times a year...on certain days especially, though he never knew why. But as Kurogane got older, he seemed to be looking in the distance more, even on the verge of tears sometimes.

And always, as soon as Yui talked to him, those looks faded away, and he was able to come back from whatever memory held him in its grips. However, tonight it seemed that the past would have its first victory. His piano playing seemed to make Kurogane more sad if anything...so eventually, his hands slipped from the keys. His father turned his head quickly, looking at him in startled shock.

"Yui...why did you stop? You never stop playing in the middle of a song...,"

"I'm sorry, dad. It's just...," Yui didn't know how to say that he was scared of the looks on his father's face. He had used to tell this to the next door neighbor, Sakura-san, when she was looking after him because of Kurogane's busy work schedule...but he'd never had the guts to tell his father about it himself. He would much prefer to keep it a secret; after all, wouldn't it hurt Kurogane more to know that his son could see the weakness that he tried so hard to hide?

"What? What is it, Yui?" Kurogane's voice had gone soft now; he stepped over to the piano, putting a hand on his son's slender shoulders. "You need to tell me when something is wrong."

There had been something weird in his voice when he had said that...but Yui didn't call attention to it. He just shrugged. "You didn't seem to be enjoying it very much...," He finally said, looking up to his father bashfully. "I thought that I wasn't playing it as well as I usually did or something...,"

"You were playing it well, as always." Kurogane patted him on the shoulder, hand hesitating as though it wanted to go to his head, but stopping the motion as he remembered that his little boy was now 'too old' for things like that. He wasn't six anymore, but sixteen – it was time that Kurogane started treating him more like an adult than a little boy.

Yui nodded solmenly, and picked up his fingers again, positioning them on the keys. "You look pretty stormy yourself." Kurogane commented, shrugging his shoulders. The black haired boy looked up at him with shock in his eyes, realizing how heavy the atmosphere in this room had become.

"Sorry...,"

"You don't need to apologize...for that, anyway. You're lying to me about something, Yui Suwa. I want to know what's going on." His father didn't sound happy at all; the boy knew from years of experience that it was better to come out with it – his father's forms of punishment were always some kind of physical exertion, which he didn't really like very much. He wasn't a great athlete like his father; he could handle a sword okay, and had done very well when he'd taken kendo...but Yui was nowhere near his father's level of awesomeness.

That made him wonder...had his mother not liked athletics? He'd had to get his musical talent somewhere, along with his love for reading. But he couldn't know for sure; everything that he'd ever been told about his mom, he'd heard from Sakura-san and her husband, Syaoran-san.

"It's just...," The boy wasn't being honest. Yes, he did have something on his mind...or rather, someone. It was the first time in years that he'd ever been able to think about anything else but his father, and what secrets made those garnet eyes so sad. "...Well, dad, there's this girl...,"

Suddenly, Kurogane's eyes went dark. "No." He said sternly. "Get rid of her."

Well, whatever Yui had been expecting, it certainly wasn't that. "But...why?" He asked, hurt evident in his voice. He hadn't thought that his father would react like that. Kurogane always told him that he needed to meet people, find his way out of his shell. Now that Chiaki-chan was in his life, had gone out of her way to make him her friend...now that he realized what it was like to want to be around someone...he couldn't understand why his father would be unhappy! It didn't make any sense!

"Son, there are things that you just don't understand. You're better off without that girl. She'll only mess up your life." The words stung Yui, but he didn't show it. He set his jaw firmly, and looked up at the tall, muscular raven, glaring at him.

"Look, just because you and mom didn't work out doesn't mean that I'm not going to be able to have a good relationship with Chiaki-chan."

Kurogane spun around so fast, Yui almost missed it. His face twisted up in a growl, and his own glare was much more overpowering than the one that his son mustered up. "_YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT!" _ He thundered, slamming his fist on an innocent end table. "Don't you _dare_ take that attitude with me, _boy_. You know nothing of what love is...of how much it takes away from a person. You don't know everything there is to know in the world, so don't you go around acting like you know every damn thing."

Yui stared at him in shocked silence. His father had never, ever risen his voice like that before. Not when he threw temper tantrums in the store, or defied him in other ways. Then again, Yui never mentioned his mother, either. He had crossed a line that he'd avoided ever since he knew how to talk...it was just an unspoken rule in the house that his mother would not come into any sort of conversation. But now, Yui couldn't take that anymore. If this was about his mother, like he knew it was...then he wanted his father to know how unfair it was.

But he knew that he'd made a mistake as soon as he looked back up at his dad and saw the pain in his eyes.

"I'm sorry for snapping." Kurogane said gruffly, turning away from his son and putting his hand to his forehead. "I just...I have my reasons. And as long as you live under this roof, I won't allow you to date anyone. You'll only hurt, Yui. I don't want you to be unhappy."

"But dad...lonliness is unhappy, too...," _'You prove that to me more than anyone else.'_ The boy thought, looking at his father. "And I really really like this girl! She's smart, funny, beautiful...knows how to cook and clean and all of that! She even knows how to sew! She is the greatest person I've ever met, dad...and I think that if it was meant to be, we could really have a shot at making it."

Kurogane finally turned, looking at his son with a wealth of sadness in his eyes. "Son...," He said softly, swallowing nervously, "I have my reasons...,"

"Then tell me!" Yui begged, standing. "I can't just let her go if there's not a good reason!"

There was a long pause in which Kurogane thought it over. Opening up the dam that he'd hidden his memories behind would be difficult...but his son was just as stubborn as he was...as his mother had been. The older raven finally sighed, shaking his head and looking down at the hopeful boy. He put his hand on the smaller male's shoulder, guiding him from the piano to the couch. He stayed standing, going to the fireplace and pulling a small scrapbook, dusty with disuse, off of it. Kurogane dusted it off, making sure that the gray film was completely gone before he handed it to his son. As Yui flipped the first page, the red eyes male dove into a story that he had never told.

"By the time I was your age...,"

xxxx

"By the time I was your age, I'd give anything

To fall in love truly, was all I could think.

That's when I met your mother, the man of my dreams

The most beautiful thing that I'd ever seen."

xxxx

_'Well, at least things can't get much worse.' _

The raven haired male, age seventeen, was standing in the middle of the town square, looking absolutely ridiculous. His damn sister had just left him in the flipping street, going off to shop for MORE crap that she didn't need. She kept saying that she was trying to make a dress for her best friend, whoever that was. He still didn't understand why he had actually volunteered to come with her – he knew better than to ever accompany Tomoyo to do ANYTHING. Yet, here he was...standing around like an idiot as he hoped and prayed that his little sister would decide to appear again, and take these girly looking shopping bags off of his hands.

That was when he saw..._him. _

The blonde hair was what first caught his attention. It shone in the bright, midday sun like a star. When Kurogane's eyes were caught, the descended upon the body of the man to which this hair belonged; he was long, willowy, lithe...much more slender than anyone he'd ever seen. If he were to put his arms about the male's waist, surely about three of him would still not be enough to make him unable to intwine his fingers. But none of this was anything compared to the person's face.

Kurogane got to see it when the male turned. His eyes found the raven's, a pale, fathomless blue staring surprisedly into the garnet embers. His face was so perfectly arranged, it was almost feminine – long eyelashes nearly transparent in the sunlight, a delicate nose, lips as pink as the petals of a flower...probably as soft as them, too. While Kurogane had never thought of anyone in a romantic way, he knew for sure that what he was feeling at this moment, right now, was something worth pursuing. His heart beat wildly in his chest, rushing all the blood to his cheeks; the poor male had to look away from the angel, bathed in the glow of the sun, the water into which he was staring making light blue patterns on his snowy white skin.

_'Water...,'_ The raven looked back again, finding that the person had not looked away yet (to his embarassment). But more importantly, he was leaning over the pale stone ledge of the fountain in the center of the square. Kurogane knew this place well, and the stupid tradition that went along with it. It was said that whoever tasted the water would have a wish granted. Obviously, that was what this idiot was trying to do...and beautiful or not, believing in such idiocy made this guy a lot less attractive in Kurogane's eyes. He sighed, putting his hands back in his pockets. Was there not anyone with an ounce of intelligence anymore?

"Hey! Hey you! Tall, dark and handsome!"

The dark haired male's eyes sharply went back to the boy, sending a glare this way that could cut through anyone. Usually, when people saw that they weren't making him happy, they would back off...but not this idiot. The blonde just kept smiling and waving, grinning like a fool. "Come over here! I don't have anyone to talk to, you know?"

Kurogane knew that he shouldn't engage idiots, but he shouted a reply back across the square. "Why should I?" He rolled his eyes, beginning to walk into the store behind him to see if Tomoyo was anywhere around. There was a limit to how much shopping she could do in one day...wasn't there?

However, he would never find out whether or not his sister was in that store. The next thing he knew, there was a small, slightly cold hand gripping his, and literally _pulling him back_ in the direction of the fountain. "Because I'm going to make you~," The blonde giggled happily, rushing to the edge of the centerpiece. "You look so scary in the shadows, mister! You should come out into the light so all the ladies can see how handsome you are~,"

There was no way that he would have known what to say to that. So instead, the taller male got defensive, spluttering about like a half-wit. "Who the _hell_ are you?! Do you freaking get off on touching strangers?! Get the hell off of me!" He snatched his hand back from that pleasant grip, shoving his hand deep in his pocket again (though that hadn't stopped this guy from getting to it the first time).

"My name is Fai."

Through the harsh words, that male never stopped smiling. In fact, he was giggling now...only making Kurogane more likely to beat him upside the head. Or so the male told himself – in reality, there was no way that the raven would ever hit this guy. He was too small, too delicate. If he touched this fragile blonde wrong, he might even collapse.

However, that did not make him any less annoying. "You should see the water, Mr. Black!" He chirpped happily. "You know the legend, right? You get a wish if you taste the water! You don't look like you would normally do this sort of thing, so I'm going to help you out. Besides, it's no fun if I make a wish by myself...there's no one to ask about it afterwards!"

Kurogane just stared at the blonde. Finally, he managed to come up with something else to say. "Are you an idiot?" He demanded, shaking his head. "That's just folklore. Stupid crap. No one really believes it. People just come here as a formality – no one is looking to actually get what they asked for. It's a really nice fountain, I'll give you that. But there is nothing magical about this place. There is no wish that it can grant."

"Really?" Fai asked, his eyes twinkling. _'How the hell do they even DO that?!' _Kurogane wondered, slightly on edge. He knew now that Fai was most likely a nut job escaped from some kind of insane asylum. He didn't want to deal with any crazies. But...it seemed as though this maniac wanted to deal with him. "Drink and find out. Wish for something that you think is absolutely impossible. I'm sure that you'll get your wish...whatever it was."

"How do you know that?" Kurogane was quickly becoming exasparated. He knew that Fai would insist until he did it, so it was best to just get this whole thing over with now so he could complain to Tomoyo about it later. But, if he was completely honest with himself...he liked this attention. No one had ever noticed that he hung in the shadows, that he didn't like going up and making stupid wishes from just one glance. Yet this Fai character seemed to have him completely figured out...whether he liked that or not.

"Because it worked for me~," The male got closer, only inches between them. He rose up on tiptoe so that his lips were at the raven's ear, and whispered in the words that became the glue that bound them together.

"_I wished that today, someone would come along and make my life worth living._"

Kurogane's face lit up in a blush, and he stared at the boy as he rocked back onto his heels, grinning nicely. "And I think that you just might be that person...Mr...,"

It took a moment, but Kurogane finally realized that this guy was hunting for a name. "Kurogane...," He said slowly, still not quite comprehending that he had just taken on the wish of another person. A powerful wish, one that would affect Fai's life for years to come. Luckily for Kurogane, at that point, he chose correctly.

"Okay, Kuro-tan~!" The blonde chirpped happily. "Let's be the best of friends, okay?"

"What the hell did you just call me?! And who said I wanted to be your friend?! I haven't agreed to anything!"

"That's not true~," The boy winked at Kurogane, looping his arm around the taller male's broad shoulders...or what he could reach of them. "You told me your name. If you didn't want me to know anything about you, then you wouldn't have given that away so easily. The only other conclusion is that you would like to be around me. Aren't I right?"

That was a question that Kurogane would never answer with words.

xxxx

"He said, 'Kuro-myuu, can I tell you a wonderful thing?

I can't help but notice you're staring at me.

I know I shouldn't say this, but I really believe

I can tell by your eyes that you're in love with me."

xxxx

Kurogane was beginning to realize that he was kind of obsessed with Fai. Not in the creepy stalker-esque way...he wasn't following him around or anything...but it was definitely there. They were spending nearly every moment of their lives together. Always, they were doing something with each other, with groups of their friends, or something else. To everyone else, the outcome of this was obvious. They could see it in the way that the two looked at each other, the way that Fai's teasing nicknames suddenly stopped annoying Kurogane so much, and the fact that they would be sitting really close together and not even notice.

Of course, the couple in question were completely blind to this, so their friends figured that it would be better not to say anything.

The raven soon learned that Fai was attending his higschool, where they would both be seniors; they ended up graduating together, and even though the blonde was at the beginning, in the D's, and other was in the S's, they still managed to communicate through sharing glances the entire time...much to the enjoyment of their friends and anyone sitting around. Of course, as soon as they all tossed their caps into the air, Fai was in Kurogane's arms, hugging him and cheering about how they were finally free to live their lives, how he never thought that he would survive highschool. It was too bad that Kurogane thought nothing of it at the time.

That wasn't the only place they went together; Kurogane also discovered that his new friend was an avid pianist...and a damn good one, too. He didn't play for any of the school's ensembles, but he was tutored by a professor at their town's university. Fai held many recitals for college students years older than him, who were either green with envy or slackjawed at his skills. Kurogane fell into the second category – every time that he heard the blonde play, it was like he was transported to another world. Fai didn't just play the piano...his soul sang through it. He played complicated passages with ease, stroking the lagato notes and gently tapping the staccatto, creating actual emotions with his playing. He could play songs that could leave the crowd feeling giddy and giggly, but he was absolutely _best_ at making them cry. It was a bit unsettling for Kurogane that he was able to coax such emotions out of the crowd – hell, even _he _ teared up a little bit - , but for the most part, he just enjoyed the shows. After all, Fai had a talent. There was no way that he could just tell the blonde not to use it.

Soon, Kurogane discovered that he was perfectly content listening to the blonde play for hours, just drinking in the music as his fingers ran artfully over the keys. He would often accompany Fai to his lessons, or just hang out in the rooms in which he practiced after school. Sometimes, Fai would tell him that he could go home...he'd been there for two or three hours...and Kurogane wouldn't believe it until he'd seen the clock. But his answer was always the same – he wanted to stay there and listen as long as the blonde could play. So stay the raven did...and he learned much more about the blonde and the piano than he ever would have otherwise.

Fai was an avid reader. He would read up a storm, sitting for hours in the library if he could. He read tons of romances and action novels. His favorite genre was realistic fiction, and there were several books that were his favorites. In fact, books pretty much controlled a big part of his life...and they were something that Kurogane had to learn to love if he was going to get anywhere close to the male. Fai would chose books for him to read, and for a long time, the raven would refuse, saying that they were too girly or that he really didn't read. But finally, there was one book that actually seemed to catch his attention.

"It's called Ender's Game. You should really read it, Kuro-myuu! You'd love it~!"

"It's not about vampires, is it?" Kurogane had asked with chargrin, looking over at him with a disgusted look on his face.

"Not at all! It's got battles, strategy, weapons, war, and not really any romance!"

Well, that cinched it. Kurogane figured that he could read it and get the other male off of his back a little. At least then the guy wouldn't be begging him to read anything else. If he could just read this book and survive through it...at least it wasn't a romance. So he checked it out from the library, and turned to the first page, thinking that he could probably just look it up on SparkNotes or something to get the plot. Then, if the blonde had any questions, he would be prepared.

Except...from page one, Kurogane was hooked. He really liked Ender Wiggin, and found himself seeing the battles in his head, feeling the things that the boy felt. Though they had a gulf of reality between him, the raven found himself beginning to get attatched to the kid. He got to know Ender as though he were sitting in the room with him, telling him of his adventures. It was the first time that Kurogane had ever really enjoyed a book. The best part was that Fai knew it, too, and they were able to talk about it all the time.

Fai got Kurogane into reading. Now, he didn't read books every day like the blonde did, but he learned how to find books that he liked. Soon, he would be reading a good one every once and awhile, sometimes finding awesome ones that Fai didn't know about. It was what really pulled them in and made them friends – they found something that would keep them together.

That wasn't all; Fai got Kurogane into music. He showed him bands that had good beats and good music. Some he liked; more of the hard rock/metal stuff was his thing. He didn't like some of Fai's pop bands, but he didn't turn it off when the blonde wanted to hear it. He liked watching him dance around the room, singing such sappy things at the top of his lungs it was almost embarassing. But Kurogane never tired of it.

He was starting to think that he could never get tired of Fai.

One day, though, their friendship was torn down in favor of something much deeper. The two knew each other extremely well now – they knew likes and dislikes, secrets (most of them, anyway), what the other wanted to be when they got out into the world, plans for after highschool...nearly everything. They were hanging out more and more now, sometimes sleeping over at each other's houses, sometimes even staying out all night, much to the worry of each set of parents. They were extremely busy with one another...and they liked it that way.

But one day, something changed for Kurogane. The feelings that he'd had when he'd first met Fai began to resurface again. He began to stare at the male more often, appreciating the way that he looked when he laughed...the way that his face lit up, and that mouth of his opened up to reveal a smile so bright, it was blinding. He would watch Fai walk, move, run, dance...anything. His eyes were glued to the movement, watching the way his body turned and twisted. That wasn't all; Kurogane also realize that he was a big fan of Fai's sleeping face, too. The male was beautiful when he slept...eyelashes brushing his cheeks, lips relaxed or, if he was lucky, curled in a small smile. He liked to sleep at Kurogane's side, too, curled into him...and even once, on his lap. There was no way that the male would ever tell him how much he loved this, but it turned out that he didn't need to.

There was a second time that Fai slept on Kurogane's lap. They had just gotten back from one of his recitals. This one was special because it was put on in order to help the blonde raise money for college. His family wasn't rich, but his mother and father really wanted him to go on a music scholarship. So he used his talents to get him the money...and now his schooling was almost paid for. Kurogane, on the other hand, could pretty much afford everything; he'd offered to help Fai, but the blonde had refused in the weirdest way.

"It's not like you love me or anything. Amounts of money like that shouldn't be given to friends only, Kuro-sweet."

For the longest time, Kurogane hadn't had the slighest idea what Fai had meant by that. He pondered it for several nights, wondering what the hell the stupid blonde meant. Not in love? Hell, if only he knew. If this wasn't love, it was certainly some kind of weird attraction...and he would be really grateful as if it stopped.

This night was one of those where was pondering; they had decided to watch a movie together to celebrate Fai's success...and without warning, the male had just laid his head in Kurogane's lap, and curled up. "I can see better this way~." He'd giggled then, and no matter how much the raven grumbled, he refused to budge. "Kuro-tan is comfortable! I don't want to get up~!" He insisted, smiling happily all the while. Kurogane just gave up at that point – he really didn't want the male to move, and it would be much nicer with him there.

At some point during the movie, Kurogane looked down and found Fai asleep on his lap, curled up and facing toward his stomach. He smiled to himself, shaking his head; this was just like the damn blonde, to fall asleep in such a crazy position. _'He probably thinks himself totally safe...all snug and warm...,'_ The raven thought, sighing. He wanted to get the male a blanket, but he was kind of in a bind – he didn't want to get up and disturb the sleeping blonde. There Kurogane stayed, staring down at the beautiful blonde and admiring him.

_'I wish that I didn't like him so damn much.' _The male thought, sighing. _'Then maybe I wouldn't think about how wrong I am to like him all the time.' _

Kurogane didn't have a problem with being gay. He didn't really think of himself as that – he just liked Fai, and no other man but Fai. What he did have a problem with was his own shortcomings. He wasn't as good, as pure, or as beautiful as the blonde was...and he deserved someone like that. Kurogane could just picture the other with a beautiful girl, having the perfect life and family. He couldn't imagine that, no matter how hard he tried. Sure, it was possible to have a family now with two people of the same sex, thanks to advances in medicine...but there was no way that Fai would ever choose him.

"...Kuro-myuu, can I tell you something wonderful?"

The raven flinched at the words, heart beating rapidly in his chest. "D-dammit, Fai! You scared the shit out of me!" He growled, frowning down at the boy. All he got in return was a giggle...and no acknowledgement of his words. The blonde just continued on talking, shocking Kurogane to the core with what he said.

"You stare at me all the time...and, well...I know that I shouldn't really be saying this, but...I think that you're in love with me." The blonde grinned and poked him on the nose; sitting in front of the raven, there was no way that he could miss the blush that spilled across those tan cheeks or the flustered, shocked gaze that revealed what he said to be true.

"...Is that a bad thing?" Kurogane asked, looking at the male with an uncomfortable look. He tried to tell himself that he'd be perfectly fine if he was rejected, that he would go on with the rest of his life and be totally, completely okay. But inside, he knew that was a lie. He was afraid of this answer...of this situation...and there was nothing he could do to aviod it.

Fai smiled, sitting up and turning himself so that he was sitting backwards on Kurogane's lap. Before the raven knew what was happening, soft, warm lips pressed quickly to his, eliciting a surprised grunt from the taller's mouth. They lingered there for a few seconds, the pretty pink mouth pressed to Kurogane's own, before the blonde pulled away. To his relief, there was a bright red blush vibrantly showing against the pale skin, giving away some of Fai's feelings.

"Not at all...'cause I love you too...,"


	2. Love was a Story That Couldn't Compare

Sorry for the late update, you guys! I had to go to a band contest...but the good news is that our Christmas Break is coming up in about a week! ^.^ Which means more updates...hopefully. xD Anyway, I guess it's time to move on to what you guys care about.

*****Credit for things used in this chapter goes to SHINee, for their song, and Cassandra Clare, for her book and her amazing Malec 333 (I love them too ^.^) **

Alright, then! Now that the disclaimer is over...let's get to some review replies. ^.^

**wolf1380 - **Thank you! I'm glad that you like it so far. ^.^ It's nice to meet you. :)

**xXxGinryuuxXx - **I'm glad that you think so! ^.^ Hehehehe Kuro-min has become quite the reader. ;) Cool! I love MPREG, and will probably do a lot of it...but I hope to continue writing things that you like~ Here's the update!

Thank you to those who reviewed, alerted, and favorited! I really did appreciate each and every one. ^.^ Thank you for reading! I hope that this next chapter does not disappoint!

* * *

"Now son, I'm only telling you this because life can do terrible things."

xxx

Yui stared at his father, forgetting the scrapbook completely and taking in what he had just heard. He wanted to ask where Fai was now; things seemed to be going really well between them! Other than his father's grumpy attitude and naturally stormy demeanor, there hadn't been anything that would tear the young couple apart. Obviously, there was more to this story than Kurogane was letting on. However, the raven had fallen silent, much to the teen's dismay.

"Father...what happened next?" The younger male asked, feeling a little uncomfortable. There was a long silence between the two; Kurogane said absolutely nothing, no matter how long Yui waited. "Dad?"

Finally, that elicited a reply. "Play for me again."

The younger nodded, moving from the couch to the piano. He took the scrapbook with him when he went, wanting to see the pictures inside in a minute – hopefully, if Kurogane wasn't going to say anything, he could glean some of the story from the small book. But that would have to wait for a little bit; Yui sat at the piano bench once again, and his hands began to play that same three note melody again. As he played, he wondered if Fai had played the same melody. Perhaps it was his favorite song. With this idea in his head, the boy began to play a little more musically. His eyes went to his father, seeing that the older male's garnet orbs were more than a little misty. He knew that Kurogane would not say anything more when he was on the verge of tears like this; he was more likely to leave so that no one else would see him cry, as he had done every other time Yui had seen him like this.

However...that could not happen when the story wasn't finished yet! Yui did not know how it was supposed to tie in to his relationship with Chiaki-chan...but this was his father: one of the most logical men he had ever known. There had to be a reason!

"Dad...that was a nice story and all...but I don't understand. You sounded so happy with Fai...why shouldn't I be with Chiaki-chan? And how are they even related in the first place?"

The raven's eyes turned to his son, a haunted look in the garnet depths. "Son...I'm only telling you this because life can do terrible things."

_'Well, that just made a ton of sense. Not.' _Yui thought, resisting the urge to sigh. He looked at his father, realizing for the first time that he wasn't all...there. This scared the boy a lot; his dad, the strong man who could do anything when he was younger, was starting to become more and more of a weak old man in the teenage Yui's eyes. Kurogane was no longer the warrior, the man that he had been.

Or maybe he was...but buried under a thick layer of bitter sadness.

"What things, dad?" Yui asked, looking at his father intently, with concern. "What terrible things can life do?"

Kurogane slowly went to an arm chair a few feet away, big black and leather, facing away from the piano. The raven sat with a great sigh, eyes closing as he did. "This is a hard story for me, son. I really don't want to talk about it."

That was the most honesty that his father had ever given him, but...Yui knew that he was losing. If he gave up now, he would lose the rest of the story for a really long time...would lose the small look into his father's life, what it had been like when he was happy and not completely miserable. Also, this was the first time he'd heard of his mother from his father. The only things that he had ever heard were from Sakura-chan; that the raven had deeply loved his mother, and that his mom was no longer with them (though that last one was kind of obvious – he would be around if he had been with them). Yui had always assumed that his mother had just left his father and he...but now, he wasn't sure that this was the case.

"Dad...I don't know anything about my mom. I've never known anything about him. You don't tell me anything...I don't even know what he looks like." I stopped playing and looked up at him, pleading in my eyes. "Please...I didn't even know that he was a man until today. I want to know him...even if he isn't here."

Kurogane sighed and shook his head sadly. "I know that you do...but I just don't know how to-,"

"Continue the story, Dad. That's the only way I can learn about him at all...about both of you." This was going to hurt Kurogane...but Yui had to know. He was so close to getting the answers to the questions that he had been asking his entire life...since he knew that his family wasn't like other families. He wanted to be able to know why his eyes were blue; who he had gotten his smile from. The one who had carried him for nine months and then birthed him was a complete stranger. That seemed completely...wrong to Yui. His mother deserved something, some recognition or respect for doing what he had. After all, without Fai...Yui wouldn't be there.

"Look in that scrapbook...he made it." Came his dad's low baritone. Yui nodded, taking the old book and turning the yellowed pages. On the first, there was a blonde man smiling brightly at the viewer, eyes closed and hands making a heart with his index fingers and thumbs. Under the picture was a caption written in neat, perfect script, loopy and slightly slanted.

_'Here is a present for my dearest Kuro-love! I hope you enjoy this! I worked really hard, so you'd better enjoy it! Happy White day!' _

A heart was drawn in below the words, _'F+K Forever~' _written inside of it.

Yui's eyes widened, gently sliding his fingers across it. Could Fai have really left when he seemed so in love with Kurogane? It didn't make any sense!

"...He made that for me close to the end of our time together." Kurogane said softly, drawing Yui's eyes to his hunched form. "It was only a few years after...,"

"After what?"

"...Now, most of the time, ...,"

xxxx

"Now, most of the time we'd have too much to drink  
And we'd laugh at the stars and we'd share everything  
Too young to notice, and too dumb to care  
Love was a story that couldn't compare."

Xxxx

The giggling was always what got him first. Kurogane would look across the table and see that damn blonde, cheeks flushed, a bottle of alcoholic something waving around in his hand. "Kuro-myuu has three heads!" He would chirp, and the raven would know that his blonde was absolutely wasted.

"Okay, I'm cutting you off." The raven murmured, by no means sober himself. He reached across to try and take the drink from Fai's trembling hands, but he couldn't quite seem to get it. "Hold it still, dammit!" He growled, trying to get a firm grip on the glass.

"No! Fai-kitty likes his alcohol~!"

Well, the noirette was not about to have that. He got up, growling at the boy. "Look, I know that it's our anniversary, but I don't want you to be too damn drunk to remember it. Now gimme that...bottle!" On the last word, the male lunged, earning a startled squeak from his blonde partner. A crash resounded in the small apartment, and before either man knew what was happening, they found themselves hopelessly tangled together in a growing puddle of Fai's drink.

"Kuro-min...," Fai whined, looking up at him tearfully. "That was good!" He sniffled, actual _tears_ leaking from the corners of his eyes. Kurogane was not about to have that; he couldn't stand to see the other cry.

"It's okay, it's okay." The raven slurred, beginning to get up. "I'll getcha another one."

Before the male could go very far, a pale hand gripped his shoulder. He looked down at the blonde again, who was smiling tearfully. "But then you'd have to go...," He smiled, eyes sparkling. "I want to stay here...right here, with you."

"You really want to sleep in a puddle of sake?"

Fai thought for a moment, finally shaking his head and deciding that it would be better to move to somewhere more dry. "Carry me?" He asked softly, already flushed cheeks slowly reddening more. Kurogane groaned – he was in no shape to carry the other. He was almost as drunk as he was, which meant that coordination was not going to happen.

The raven opened his mouth to refuse...but when his eyes met those sparkling blue gems, he found himself unable to see a reason why he couldn't.

Slowly, carefully, Kurogane lifted himself off of the other male, crouching at his side and gathering him in his arms. Fai wrapped long pale limbs around his partner's strong neck, giggling at him the entire time. "I'm not going to break if you drop me, Kuro-love~," He smiled brightly in spite of his words, obviously happy at being treated with gentleness.

"Let's not test that." Kurogane grumbled, finally finding himself able to stand. "Where do you want me to put ya?"

"Well...we are both _very _dirty...,"

"No thanks to you."

"Oh, hush!" Fai poked his nose, grinning widely. "Are you really going to turn down a bath with your most special person? I'll do whatever you want me to~,"

"I don't suppose that includes being quiet and washing yourself."

"...Anything but that." The blonde kissed his cheek as the noirette took careful steps, trying to keep the floor from tilting too much. He knew that he wasn't walking in a straight line, but at least he wasn't bumping into any walls. He was determined to get to the bathroom without dropping him, even if his limbs felt like lead.

"Tch. Fine. Whatever you want. Just no more alcohol. You're already lit like a candle." Kurogane really thought that he was going to make it. He'd finally gotten into the bedroom, and was making his way to the bathroom...but he didn't see the edge of the loveseat. As soon as his side hit it, he went down, throwing Fai to the bed and hitting it himself with his middle, bending over with impact.

Fai shrieked, muttering a small 'oof' when he hit the bedsheets. "Kuro-min is very drunk as well! Normally he's not so clumsy." The blonde giggled, poking his head with his big toe. "Are you okay, Kuro-manly? That sounded like it hurt~,"

"Fine." The raven blushed bright red, sighing. "Wish I would have made it, though...,"

"Oh, hush. This was where we were going to end up anyway...," The blonde winked, grinning a chesire grin at his partner. "Besides...I'm not complaining." Slowly, Fai sat up, his hand going to the black locks he treasured so dearly.

Then...those pink lips moved to his ear, and whispered, "Come up here, Kuro-love. I want you~,"

Kurogane stood in a moment of impressive coordination, climbing on the bed with his legs on either side of him. "Sounds like a plan." He chuckled, stopping his forward movement when he was a few centimeters from where Fai wanted him to be. The blonde let out a moan, taking his bottom lip between his teeth. "What's wrong?" The taller asked, smirking at him. "I thought you would do whatever I wanted tonight."

"Except for being quiet and washing myself~," Fai reminded gently, smiling. "I assume that you want to kiss me, though~,"

Kurogane smirked. "I've been doing things for you all night. It's my turn to be pampered." He replied, earning a small chuckle from the beautiful blonde.

"Kurogane...," Fai whispered, leaning forward. His hand cradled the tan cheek, never breaking eye contact. Those perfect pink lips covered his in a fluid motion, moving gently against his. Their lips moved softly against each other for a long time, neither being able to bear the thought of ending this a moment too soon. Through their drunken haze, each knew that this was their favorite kind of kiss – the type that showed the other just how each one felt. There was no lust, no urgency...just the desire to linger here, forever; to never leave, even if it was necessary for their survival.

Why would they preserve their own lives when the very thing needed for their survival was already with them?

They finally broke apart, each softly panting. Fai's hand never left Kurogane's cheek; slowly, a pale thumb stroked the tan skin, a small love-filled smile gracing his face. The raven shook his head, chuckling slightly. "I thought you wanted to do it. You don't seem to be in that much of a hurry right now."

The blonde echoed his laugh softly, leaning forward to capture his lips in a shorte, chaste kiss. "I still do." He moved his lips from the raven's to his cheek, softly caressing the bone under that strong, flawless skin. "But I want to enjoy you for awhile tonight~."

"Did I do something right?" Kurogane asked, raising an eyebrow.

Fai giggled, shaking his head. "You don't remember? You didn't reject me when I said that I was your most special person. And that makes me really, really happy!"

Kurogane thought back to that...or tried to. That moment was lost in the haze of the night...but in the morning, he would remember. Lovingly, he slid his hands down his blonde's body, tugging at the wet shirt that clung to his skin.

"So what? It's the truth. There has never been anyone more special to me than you. Never, ever forget that."

There was no other way to say it – they were in love. Kurogane and Fai became one entity almost, with one never being without the other. Most said that it was strange; how could two people want to stay together all of the dang time?

They had their fights over petty things. Sometimes, Kurogane slept on the couch, or Fai cried. But the two always made everything up in the end. If there was a fight, no one knew about it until after the fact, and by that time, it was as though it had never happened.

Eventually, the two started to live together. The day that Fai moved in was a Tuesday; Kurogane would always remember it as the day that his life began...and somewhat ended. The raven had told him to come over at seven in the evening, which meant that the blonde would be there at about seven thirty if he was lucky. The damn guy was terrible at telling time. But that was okay – tonight would be really relaxed.

Unnervingly, the blonde showed up at seven on the dot with a few boxes in his car and a bright smile on his face. Kurogane couldn't believe that he didn't have more, but when he asked, the blonde just grinned and told him that he really didn't have all that much. By the time that Kurogane figured out why, it would be too late.

They started that night by putting Fai's things away. All of his clothes went in the dresser along with Kurogane's, his shampoos and 'girly smelling' soaps (as dubbed by the raven) in the bathroom. He had a few little trinkets that he had brought along with him, as well as a ton of books that the taller would have to buy a bookshelf for since he didn't own many of his own. That didn't take very long at all; when it was done, the two found themselves in the midst of silence, staring around at the indicators that more than one person now resided in this place.

"Hey...if you're gonna live here, you've got to know the best place." Kurogane said quietly. His hand slipped around Fai's, earning a startled look from the lithe blonde. The raven _never _initiated that. Usually, he was too embarassed to do it in public...or in private. Fai had always quietly accepted that, but he never expected that the noirette would reciprocate affection like this.

They stared at each other for a long moment. Then, the blonde nodded his agreement. "Okay." He said softly, a gentle lifting of the corners of his mouth sending Kurogane's heart into a frenzy.

No words passed between them as they walked up to the aforementioned 'best place'. Fai was too busy admiring his lover's broad shoulders, the way the muscles in them worked as he walked up the staircase. He was much more muscular than the blonde – he should know, after the many times they had lain with one another. _'Just concentrate on him...it'll be okay if I just concentrate on him...,' _The blonde was almost paler than he usually was, but he wouldn't ruin this moment for anything. He would survive, as he always did. Kurogane would never have to know.

The raven himself was just eager to get to the roof. As soon as they got there, he started blushing even more; stepping aside, he gestured to where a small picnic was set up. "Here...you said you wanted to do this, so...," He shrugged, looking to the blonde's face for his reaction.

"Kuro-myuu!" Fai squealed happily, jumping onto him like some kind of monkey. His legs wrapped around the tan male's torso, arms around his neck. "I'm so happy!" He chirped, hugging him tight. He had never thought that Kurogane would remember something as silly as that...but knowing that he had set this up and tried to make him happy...it was almost too much.

"Tch. Whatever." The raven muttered, taking him over to the red and white checkered blanket at the corner of where the top of the roof met the fence that ran around the perimeter. Gently, he sat down...but Fai didn't move from his lap.

"Kuro-chan is a nice pillow." Fai said softly, relaxing against his big, warm puppy. The tanned male couldn't hide his smile anymore; he wrapped his arms around Fai's body, holding him protectively.

Kurogane had decided to lift his ban on sweet things (imposed after Fai had decided to use all the sugar he owned to make him breakfast one time) tonight. The blonde really did have an atrocious sweet tooth...but one night wouldn't be so bad. Besides, even though the tanned male wasn't really a fan of sweets, he'd eaten before Fai had come. He would much prefer watching his lover be his happy self over the small array of pastries that Kurogane had bought.

"Kurogane Suwa."

The raven was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of Fai's incredulous tone. He looked down to see that the lithe blonde had the picnic basket, and was rifling through it. "...Yes?" He asked, wondering if he had done something wrong.

"Is this a white-chocolate strawberry _cheesecake_?"

Kurogane smirked, knowing what was coming before it happened. The blonde delicately took a sliced piece of the cake, and put some in his mouth, eyes lighting up with his bright smile. The raven had known that this was his favorite for a long time now; it had been years since they'd first stepped inside that little cake shop on the town's busiest street and Fai had fangirled over the same type of cheesecake. The noirette was glad that he'd remembered it. That cake had pretty much made the lithe male's night.

However, the tan male did not see what was coming next. Suddenly, Fai's mouth was on is, and he tasted sweetness all over his lips. Normally, the dark haired man didn't like sweets, but...when mixed with the taste of his lover, he found it strangely enjoyable. A little side dish of Fai made anything better, the raven decided; perhaps sweets wouldn't be so bad if he could have them through the blonde.

"Tell me something about you that I don't know." Fai commanded softly, wiping away a bit of cheesecake left on Kurogane's lips from their kisses. The raven rose an eyebrow, surprised at the request. He didn't know if there was anything left to tell him that he didn't already know. Fai was great at finding things out; sometimes, Kurogane was convinced that he did better research than the FBI.

"What kind of thing?" The noirette asked, wondering what exactly the blonde wanted to know. Was there something specific that he was fishing for?

"Anything."

Kurogane sighed, looking up at the stars for a long moment. Then, "I think you know all there is to know about me...if anything, you don't know what I ate for dinner that one night when you couldn't come over 'cause of work or whatever."

Fai chuckled, nuzzling the space between his boyfriend's neck and shoulder. "You made a sandwich – the bread was still out on the counter when I got home." Kurogane shook his head, shiver spreading slowly through his veins at the touch. His eyes closed for a moment, and he sighed.

"I love you." Kurogane said softly. "But you already knew that."

The blonde softly smiled, sighing with content and laying his head in the dip of his broad, tan shoulder. He fit perfectly there, blonde curls bright against the dark fabric of his boyfriend's shirt. It was one of his favorite places to be – he could be completely immersed in Kurogane, and still talk to him coherently, all while being completely comfortable. "It's still nice to hear. Gives me a chance to say it back...," His voice was gentle, soft, blue eyes glittering like the ocean at noon. "I love you too, Kuro-sweet." There was a slightly cool, soft feeling at the base of the raven's neck, at his collarbone; the noirette's eyes slipped shut at the feeling, letting out a small moan.

"...You know, maybe there is something. When I was younger, my mom told me to watch the stars. She used to say that the person at the end of my red thread...my 'destined one' or wahtever...would see the same stars with me one day." Kurogane gently ran his fingers through the cascade of blonde silk, sighing softly. "So I watched them every night for an hour or less before bedtime, waiting for my person to come watch with me. I really did believe that someone was going to randomly show up – I know, it was stupid. But I always believed it would happen someday."

The lithe male was silent for a very long time. Then, in a very quiet voice so as not to ruin the moment, he spoke again. "You were right...I didn't know that, Kuro-myuu." He curled more into his boyfriend's strong chest, warmth flowing into his normally cold body. The raven looked down tenderly, seeing that his impossibly blue eyes were beginning to fill. "...Is that why you brought me here tonight, Kuro-love?" He asked, beginning to tremble ever so slightly in the male's strong arms.

"Yes. After two years together...I suspect that you just might be the one I wanna...well, spend a little more time with." A flush of pink filled the taller male's cheeks. He frowned, seeing the crystaline tears flow down pale cheeks. "...Are you _crying_?"

"Hush!" Fai's voice broke on the word. He buried himself even more in the tanned male, hugging him tightly. His tears were staining Kurogane's shirt, but neither cared. They were too caught up in their love to notice anything else.

"...Why the hell would you ever pick me?"

This was shocking – Fai had never cursed before in Kurogane's presence; especially not when he wanted t be held or was feeling weak. But there was such _power_ in his words...in that question. It shook the raven to his core, mind struggling to find a suitable answer.

There was no epiphany, or an obvious pretty answer. Kurogane was not prince charming, or some guy that was great at making things sound beautiful. But even though he wasn't the most eloquent, he always managed to say the thing that would make Fai the happiest.

"I didn't pick you, idiot. You picked me, and stuck with me – which is why I'm gonna stick with you."

xxxx

"I said, "Girl, can I tell you a wonderful thing?  
I made you a present with paper and string.  
Open with care now, I'm asking you, please.  
You know that I love you, will you marry me?"

xxxx

Kurogane sat in the dark of the house, waiting. Normally, he was a pretty patient guy...but today, he just couldn't stop tapping his foot, glancing at the clock...wondering what was about to happen. He could just stare at the ceiling, or close his eyes, and picture the look on the blonde's face when he asked that question.

The raven didn't know how the hell he was going to pull this one off. Sure, he had prepared and had a basic plan for how he wanted things to run...but he wasn't prepared emotionally at all. When he started to think of saying anything, his hands trembled and he had to fight to keep from stuttering. If there was one thing that he didn't want to do, it was look stupid in front of his beautiful, eternally cool lover.

Especially on the night that he was going to ask Fai to marry him.

The male looked into the flickering light of the candles, remembering back to when Sakura and Syaoran were helping set them up. Syaoran had been wanting ideas about proposal himself, and they had been planning to talk, but since she had decided that Kurogane needed a 'woman's touch' on his idea of a proposal (just writing a note and sliding it over to Fai), they hadn't been able to talk at all. However, he was glad that she had been there. She was the one who had given him the idea to propose this way.

One more time, Kurogane looked out the window, into the falling snow. He saw a silvery figure walking up the steps to the apartment, and knew that it was time. He turned the lights on just a bit, to aide the vanilla scented candles and give the room a little more light. As soon as the noirette had made sure that the fire was roaring in the fireplace and that the hot chocolate was steaming, he heard the front door open...and the surprised gasp that he'd been waiting for all night.

"...Kuro-tan?"

The black haired male blushed as he turned around, the uncomfortable fabric of the suit making him grimace. But when he saw the tired circles under his lover's eyes, the way that he seemed to be on the verge of collapsing from the little sleep he'd had lately...all other feelings melted away. "You're working too hard again." He said softly, going over to him and looking him over more. Fai looked like hell right now...but he wasn't going to mention that. It would kind of ruin the mood that he was going for.

"...Why are you wearing a suit? Did I miss something important?" The blonde was genuinely confused right now. He tilted his head to the side in that cute way of his. Kurogane couldn't help but smile. He shook his head, and came forward, taking his hand quietly, and shrugged.

"You'll see why in a second."

The raven lead him to the soft light of the candle, where there was hot chocolate and some oddly mal-formed Christmas cookies. "Do you want to eat first?" Kurogane asked, looking down to where his boyfriend's mouth had fallen open in surprise.

"...You made that?"

"It was either me or the gremlins, idiot. Who'dya think made it?"

The blonde smiled weakly, shaking his head. "This is all very sweet of you, Kuro-myuu, but...I don't understand why...," He looked at him, raising an eyebrow in his confusion. "And 'eat first'? What's the other option?"

"Something that I never do. Set your stuff down."

Fai did as he was told, albeit wondering whether or not this was the same man that he had woken next to this morning. The noirette pressed a button on their stereo, and a song began to filter through the air, making the blonde blush deep red.

"How did you get a hold of that?" The male asked, looking extremely embarassed. "I thought you said that KPOP was for girls...,"

"...Sakura helped." The raven shrugged his shoulders, not turning around until he had selected the right track. As he twisted his body to face his lithe boyfriend again, he chuckled. "I can put up with it for one night, if it will make you happy."

Fai was smiling, but it there was something nervous about the way that his lips curved. He was struggling to put together the pieces; Kurogane could see the gears working in his head, twisting and turning. Unfortunately for him, he didn't understand...and the raven would only further distract him as the night went on. Strong, tan arms wrapped around a thin waist, and pulled him close.

"Can't promise that I'm gonna be any good at this, but...," The male trailed off, starting to sway awkardly. Fai's jaw almost hit the floor – now, he knew that something was up.

"W-what are you doing, Kuro-pon?! You never dance with me!"

_"The day that I met you was like my new birthday...,"_

Kurogane didn't say anything; the voices of Fai's girly little boy band began to filter, the softness of the song quieting the smaller male. They melted into one another, a smile slowly spilling onto the blonde's face. Slowly, he began to get more comfortable, and took lead of the dance; instead of simply swaying, they were stepping from side to side; sometimes, the shorter would twirl languidly, landing safely in those muscular arms when he drifted back against the raven's torso.

_"We were born to complete ourselves through that love...Just lighten up the future and burn my past, foolish self to ashes. Dear fire of love, fire, melt this heart away so it doesn't look back anymore...,"_

"Dip me~," There were no more signs of exhaustion in the blonde's voice. He looked positively exquisite now; eyes glimmering in the candle light as his pale skin glowed, the smile that graced his mouth making him look so impossibly happy...there was no way that the raven could say no to that face. With gentleness, he leaned forward and down. The blonde curls brushed the floor, but the two's faces never went more than inches apart. Kurogane met his lips again, bringing them back up so they could kiss without the fear of falling over.

_"We were born to complete ourselves through that love...fire, keep on shining so that I won't be lost anymore. Please keep on guiding me, dear fire of love, fire...satisfy this heart so it doesn't look back anymore."_

They kissed for a long time, losing time. The hot chocolate began to grow cold, the fire dim as the snow began to pile higher and higher outside. Yet, neither of them seemed to care. They had migrated to the soft leather of the sofa, with Fai now sitting backwards on Kurogane's lap, hands cupping the sides of his face. The raven's strong arms had encircled his waist, holding their bodies flush together. They were so close that kissing was a little hard...but not impossible. The two couldn't bear to be further apart than this.

Eventually, they pulled apart, foreheads resting together. Fai's eyes closed; the raven lifted a large, tanned hand, gently stroking his cheek. "Fai...," He said softly, eliciting a smile from the other's lips.

"You still haven't told me why you're wearing that suit...," The beautiful blue eyes opened once again, and Kurogane felt himself blushing under the heat of that gaze. "You look positively _delicious_, Kuro-myuu~ I don't know if I can hold myself back~,"

The noirette rolled his eyes. He should have known that the first thing Fai think upon seeing the suit was how to take it _off_, but he wore it anyway. The blonde had told him once that he wanted to see what his 'big, strong Kuro-tan' would look like in something fancy. At the time, he had scoffed...but now, he wanted to do something that the lithe male would always remember for this special night.

"...I'll tell you, but you've gotta get off of me first."

Fai groaned, not wanting to leave his comfortable spot. However, his curiosity soon won him over, and he moved, looking up at his boyfriend with a small pout from the other side of the sofa. "Happy?" He asked, crossing his arms childishly. Kurogane didn't give him an answer; he went to where the hot chocolate was, and grabbed a book that the blonde (thankfully) hadn't seen yet.

"I got it for you." The noirette said softly, tossing the novel at his boyfriend. "It's the right one, isn't it?"

The blonde was silent as he looked at the book in his hands, and then he let out a very fangirlish squeal. "YOU _DIDN'T_!" He gasped happily, hugging the book to his chest. " _City of Glass_! I can't believe it!"

Kurogane knew that this was right; it had been all that the male could talk about ever since he'd finished the latest book of the _Mortal Instruments _series. This was his favorite series of books right now – all because of a couple that Fai had often quoted, talked about, or fantasized about...sometimes doing odd combinations of all three. He was absolutely in love with Magnus and Alec from the series, almost making the raven jealous with how much he talked about them. He hadn't thought that his boyfriend would want to fall in love with book characters when they had a perfectly fine relationship...but there was no killing this obsession. Before, the raven had decided not to encourage him, but tonight was the exception.

"I still don't understand why you want that thing. Haven't you already read it?" The tanned male asked, rolling his eyes in his attempt to cover his nervousness.

"But that's the thing, Kuro-myuu! This book is so good, I just _have _ to own it!" At the raven's questioning look, the blonde began flipping pages. "It's all because of this part right here...let me find it...," He scanned through the tiny print, never noticing how the noirette had began to come closer.

"Ah! Here it is!" Fai exclaimed, looking up at him. He was a little surprised that Kurogane was so close...but he didn't mind in the slightest. "Page two hundred and thirty nine – Alec says "_you love me?_" and then-,"

" '..._Why else would I have spend the past few weeks patching up your moronic friends every time they get hurt? And getting you out of every ridiculous situation you found yourself in? Not to mention helping you win a battle against Valentine. And all...,_' " Kurogane faltered here, but that didn't matter. Fai was staring up at him as though he had just given him the keys to the biggest candy store in the universe; his eyes glittered, and the smile on his face was breathtaking. Tears spilled out of the corners of his eyes.

Before the raven knew what was happening, the blonde had tackled him to the floor.

Kurogane grunted at the pain, and was about to yell at the blonde for pushing him over, but he couldn't speak for the lips that crashed down over his, kissing him passionately. "I love you so much, you sweet, _amazing _man. I cannot believe that you just did that for me!" The blonde squealed, hugging him tightly. "Tonight is officially the best night EVER!"

"...Not yet, it's not...," The raven's words were soft despite the heat that was rushing through his veins at his boyfriend's actions. He looked over to a piece of paper that had fallen on the floor when Fai had flung the book. The blonde kissed his cheek, a little confused, but nonetheless went to pick up the paper.

Fai's eyes suddenly got huge, and he looked at Kurogane. The paper in his hand began to shake, his big eyes filling with new tears at the carefully written words on the little square of paper. "K-Kurogane...?" He whispered, looking at him with ten million different emotions in his eyes. "...I-is this...,"

"...You already know that I love you." Kurogane said softly, blushing to the roots of his hair. "...Fai D. Flourite, will you marry me?"

The noirette knew that he wasn't on one knee; rather, Fai was straddling his hips as he lay on the floor, looking up at him with hope in his eyes. He took the black box out of his pocket jacket, gently taking a sparkling silver band studded with sparkling garnets out of the silky casing.

"...Yes. A thousand times yes." Fai whispered, trembling with the force of his emotions. He didn't bother to wipe his tears away as a big, warm hand englufed his elegant, pale one completely, placing the band on his left ring finger. As soon as the ring was on, he broke out in the biggest smile yet, sniffling with his uncontainable happiness. "K-Kurogane...,"

The noirette sat up at the mention of his name, wrapping his arms around the blonde. "...Yes?"

"I love you...love you so much...," The blonde whispered, leaning into him and closing his eyes. "Never forget that, okay?"

"How could I?" The male smirked, holding his husband-to-be close to his chest. "We'll have our whole damn lives together. I couldn't ever forget someone as loud and freakishly hyper as you." Fai had just tilted his head up, meeting their lips together to seal their engagement.

If only Kurogane had known that there was another purpose behind this kiss; that Fai would have dissolved into sobs had their lips not met.


	3. Greatest Thing that Ever Happened to Me

Hey you guys! Man, these updates just get later and later, don't they? =/ Ah well - I had good reasons for holding this chapter off. ^.^ But this is the final installment to the main story...so enjoy xD I'm pretty sure that I'm about to have so many hate reviews...but if you know the song, then you know what's gonna happen anyway xD Anywho...

**Reviews: **

**EashaChan - **xD Thank you for your tears! I'm glad to know that you are so involved with this story! ^.^ I cried while writing this chapter... *tosses some tissues* Hope those help xD

**xXxGinryuuxXx - **Sorry I haven't answered your message yet =/ Oh school, and the business! xD One can never have too many books. ^.^ Well, you know how the song goes... . So You were right! Enjoy your fresh cup of angst. ^.^ Here's the update! :) Sorry it was so late...

**wolf1380 - **Here's the update! Thank you! ^.^ It's always fun to write KuroFai fluff 3

**Lazy Gaga - **Do you know the song? xD If you don't, I wouldn't suggest looking it up before reading this chapter...xD Or maybe you could while you're reading it xD

Thank you to all the reviewers! :) Thank you as well to the readers, and those who follow and favorite! This has been a fun debut... ;) I've got some new stories in the mix, so keep an eye out for those.

And with that...enjoy your angst. ^.^

* * *

xxxx

"Now, son, I'm only telling you this  
Because life can do terrible things  
You'll learn, one day, I'll hope and I'll pray,  
That God shows you differently.

xxxx

"...So what does that have to do with Chiaki-chan and I? I don't understand why you think that bad things are going to happen, dad!" Yui protested, his seeping into his voice He was trying to have an open mind so that he could see why it was that the older male was against his being with Chiaki...but it was hard. Nothing was making any sort of sense! They had gotten engaged, and been happy – how could the raven say that it was terrible? Nothing that he had said was terrible! It was all wonderful; amazingly, terrifyingly wonderful. But Kurogane couldn't see that. Something had happened and twisted his view of the world so much that he couldn't see how amazing he'd had it with his mother...with Fai. Yui wanted to know why – wanted to know it so much that he could feel it down in the pit of his stomach, in the center of his heart. There was something that Kurogane was hiding from him...and he intended to find out what it was.

"...Life can do terrible things, Yui." Kurogane said softly. "That's all I will say about it."

The tanned male stood, never facing his son. Yui's frown grew deeper and deeper as his father slowly shuffled to the hall, not believing this. Where was the rest of the story? Where were the answers he had been so desperate for? Why wouldn't he say anything about the rest?!

"You leave me with that, and I will never play another note."

That stopped Kurogane in his tracks. The look he gave his son when he turned his head was haunted, almost; Yui swallowed, suddenly unsure of whether or not he was really going to do this, but...somehow continued. He couldn't let this slip away. If he did, he knew that he would regret it for the rest of his life.

"I want to be with her, father. I want to see her smile and watch her laugh next to me. I want to be the cause of her happiness." Yui's words were slow, but true. He met his father's gaze unwaveringly, standing tall and firm in his beliefs. "If you will not tell me why, then I cannot abide by your wishes. I'm not a child - I'm old enough to understand things now. To be told the truth, instead of always being kept from it. I'm sick of staying in the dark! I know nothing, father – absolutely _nothing_! And yet you expect me to understand as though I can read your mind and see the past..._I cannot_. Treat me like you would treat Syaoran-san, or Sakura-san...like an adult. I'm old enough to be treated as such, and I demand it." Everything was shaking; there were even tears in Yui's eyes, though he wished there were not. "I won't play a damned note if I am left in the dark any longer." He threatened, the relief of saying what he had always wanted to say to his father washing over him. But it was only there for a moment.

"You want to know?" Kurogane said softly, looking as though someone had just taken away his entire world. "After years of trying to keep you from it, you want to know what happened to your mother?" His eyes bored into his son, as though he could see into the boy's soul. "Did you never consider that there were reasons I kept it from you? Your mother's story is a sad one – one that will make you...,"

"Make me what?"

Tanned fists clenched, and there was silence for a beat. Silence that Yui could not stand. "TELL ME WHAT?!" He demanded, storming to his father. The scrapbook, disturbed by the motion, fell to the floor...and a letter slipped from the yellowed pages, resting unharmed against the wooden floor. The book, however, was all but ruined; many of the pages had fallen, and were now in disarray; this book had been specially bound, so there was no fixing it.

Both males stared at the book in horror, one's face sad, and the other's shocked. "I-I didn't mean...Father, I-I'm sorry-,"

Kurogane didn't respond. He slowly went to the fallen, broken book and picked up the pages, wincing at the pain in his side that grew worse with every passing day – it always acted up when he bent over. He'd been living with it for a few weeks now, but hadn't told his son in fear that he'd have to go through what he had been through. Just in case his suspicions were true.

Meticulously, the raven put the pages back in order, simply stuffing them inside the cover as they were. Yui noticed that the yellowed letter was still there, standing out in its fadedness against the shining wood floor. The boy bent to retrieve it, carefully picking the thing up lest he break something else of his mother's. However, he didn't give it back to Kurogane – his eyes drifted down the page...and froze wide with shock.

The raven knew exactly what it was. It had been hidden in the saddest page of that scrapbook...in the apology that Fai had never been able to give.

So Kurogane gave Yui what he wanted. He continued that story...and his son found that he rather wouldn't have known the ending at all.

"He said...,"

xxxx

"She said, "Boy can I tell you a terrible thing?

Seems like I'm sick and I've only got weeks.

Please don't be sad, now I really believe

**You were the greatest thing that ever happened to me**."

xxxx

The day that Kurogane's life ended was a day that started out just like all of the others. Well, it was kind of odd, really...considering that Fai had never really healed from giving birth to their son. It had been a few weeks, but he was still hurting and weak, often having to ask Kurogane to watch to make sure that he didn't drop the newborn, or falling asleep at the dinner table causing the raven to have to carry him to bed. He slept a lot of the time now...and the noirette knew that something was wrong, but he didn't have the heart to force him to the doctor. Fai had said time and time again that he would be fine, that a doctor wasn't needed; Kurogane didn't want to force him do to something that he didn't want to do.

But...this was getting serious. The tanned male didn't know just how serious until he came in that day...blood running down the mouth of the blonde, who had had fallen unconsious in front of their son's crib.

There was no thinking in that moment; the world was a blur as Kurogane called the paramedics, then got on his knees and begged Fai to wake up, to come back, apologizing over and over and shaking his shoulders and the crying of the baby who hadn't been fed, who had watched his mother fall and not known what happened, who didn't understand what was going on and the paramedics burst into the room and pushed Kurogane back and he fought and fought and fought until they were at the hospital and he with the baby in his arms demanded to know what was wrong and...

And they asked him why he hadn't known that Fai was suffering from acute myelogenous leukemia.

Apparently, the doctors said, Fai had been suffering for about six years from this. He had survived through transplants and a miracle drug that worked on him but...well, it was obvious that he was starting to lose the battle. He'd been able to fight for a long time, but he'd become pregnant. The strain put on his body by the baby had been too much. Now, there was no stopping it. He was dying. He was dying, and he'd known that he was dying...but he'd had the damn baby anyway.

Because he loved that baby, had loved him since the day that he'd realized that he was there. He hadn't been able to bring himself to even think of abortion, he'd told _the doctors_, because he had lived his fucking life. He had been able to love and to do what he wanted. Now, he wanted to give the child life because he didn't want to kill something that_ he loved so damn much. _

Kurogane had known about NOTHING; nothing at all. Now, here he was, holding this baby that had just done in the husband that told him nothing, that had lied to him for years...that had MARRIED him knowing that he was going to die...

"Sir, you've got a baby in your-,"

"THEN TAKE HIM!" Yui began to cry at the sound of his father's yell, but the raven thrust him into unfamiliar arms, shaking his head. "GIVE HIM TO THAT GODDAMNED BLONDE!"

Security had been called...but he hadn't fought when they told him to calm down. He punched a wall so hard that it left a dent...but he didn't harm them. He couldn't hear what they were saying to him; all he could think was that Fai was going to die...Fai had been dying this entire time...the pills, the medicine on the counter, the late night trips...always fixing his hair so that it looked perfect because it wasn't fucking _real_, it was a wig...

Kurogane had been in the waiting room for three hours, staring at nothing, when a nurse dressed in pink scrubs had come to him. "Suwa-san," She'd said gently, looking at him with nervousness in her eyes, "Your husband is awake now and would like to see you."

The raven wanted to tell her to go to hell. Wanted to tell the whole fucking world to go there. But...he couldn't. There was something inside of him that wanted to see his blonde...wanted to hold him and memorize his scent, that wanted to just push away all of the bad feelings welling up inside and just be the family that they had been this morning. That part wanted to put back the beautiful illusion and just look at that, not face the truth, the horrible truth that cut him to pieces and made him want to just end everything right here...

Before Kurogane knew what happened, he was standing in front of that door, the sound of Fai's voice coming through as he weakly talked to their baby. The poor little month year old who was going to be motherless very, very soon from what the doctors had said.

The raven pushed that door open and stormed in without a word, trying to be angry. He really did try. It was almost easy to, when those blue eyes found him, when Kurogane took in the sight of Fai completely bald and looking up at him in what seemed like fear...but...

_**"Slow...so slow...," **_

Kurogane's knees gave out from under him. He landed on his hands and feet, the sob that he'd wanted to let out all day rushing forth from him.

_**"I fell to the ground...," **_

"Kurogane?"

_**"I love you...," **_

It was days later, and Kurogane wasn't anywhere close to accepting what was going to happen. If anything, the less time that Fai had, the more that he protested against it. He stayed huddled in that same corner of the hospital room, refusing to leave as he slowly delt with his grief. Denial slowly grew into anger...and then, before he could stop himself...

"Why didn't you tell me, dammit?! Why didn't you tell me that you were fucking _dying?!"_

There was a beat of silence in which the blonde pondered what to say. It was times like these he really wished that he had his old masks to hide behind. But everything had been stripped away.

"...Kuro-myuu, I need to tell you something terrible...,"

"Stop it. Just fucking STOP IT."

Kurogane couldn't handle anymore. If he said any more, he would break. He would shatter into a thousand pieces, and never be put back together.

"It seems that I'm sick, love, and I only have weeks...,"

"I SAID STOP."

_'It's not true, it's not true, he's lying...he has more time. This is a cruel joke. There's no way that he lied, no way that he's really going to leave. I want him to stay, so he's gonna stay. He will stay with me. He must.' _

"But please...please don't be sad. You know I really believe...,"

"_I SAID STOP IT!"_

There was silence. The silence stole from Kurogane his composure, tears that he thought he couldn't shed washing down his cheeks. He put his head in his hands, fingers curling and body bending forward with the force of his emotion. This couldn't be it. This could not be the end. It was too cruel, too much...it just wasn't fucking _fair..._

And then those arms came around him, hugging him, cradling him, making him remember all those damned memories...seeing the days that had made every struggle worth it...

"Kurogane, you were the greatest thing that ever happened to me."

No matter what Kurogane wanted, the universe did what it was to do. A few days after being told that he was the greatest thing that happened to Fai, he was being shaken awake by doctors. He'd slept beside the blonde that night per his request...only when he looked back did he realize why. The male had lied to him one last time that night, when he'd said that he was feeling okay.

Kurogane looked down at the blonde, knowing instantly that something was wrong because the weak warmth that was usually present in the blonde's body was not there. What was laying there, curled around him, was a corpse stiff with rigor mortis.

Fai Suwa was dead.

The funeral was held a few days later, in a small little chapel. The sun was shining, birds were singing, and the sky was a cloudless blue. The priest who conducted the ceremony kept rambling on about how great everything was now that Fai was gone – that he was happy, and the good weather was an omen that he had made it to whatever afterlife he was supposed to achieve.

But Kurogane could only sit there numbly, staring at the casket where his beautiful blonde lay, wondering how the hell something like this could have happened.

It would be a lie to say that the raven had felt some epiphany standing beside his husband's grave, but none came. There was no overwhelming feeling of his presence there. There was only a hollow emptiness that began to eat the raven starting on the inside and working its way out. He barely registered Syaoran and Sakura, standing there with his little son in their arms, looking on at the noirette in tears.

"Kurogane-san...your son...," Syaoran said softly, watching as the little boy extended his arms to his father. "Sora-chan wants you...,"

"That's not his name."

Syaoran frowned, looking down at the baby in his arms. "But that is what you and Fai-san put on the birth certificate-,"

"His name is Yui."

It was Fai's first name. Kurogane remembered when the blonde had told him about his twin brother who had died from the same disease...though he had neglected to mention that they'd acquired it at the same time. From that point on, he had taken his brother's name, and decided that Fai was going to live on, that Yui was the one who could die. Kurogane had asked him that day if he would want that if the situation were reversed. That blonde had just smiled and told him that he would want Fai to live no matter what. And though the noirette had wanted Fai to just be his own person and live happily...he had agreed to his wishes. He couldn't really imagine calling the blonde anything else, after all.

Now, the name that Fai had never wanted could rest with someone who could use it. Yui could live on, even if Fai was in the ground and dead. But Kurogane would never use the name Fai again for anyone else. It was a curse of death it seemed – anyone who had that name would die of this terrible disease that had taken not one, but two beautiful lives from the Earth.

However, the name was also holy...sanctified. Belonging only to the purest, most beautiful man that Kurogane had ever had the pleasure of knowing. The man that had lied just to spare his lover pain, not knowing that it would only make everything worse when it was time for them to part.

_"Fai...,"_

"Okay, then...but Yui-chan still needs to have his father. You really haven't been looking after him, Kurogane-san," Sakura said quietly, stepping over to him. The baby reached eagerly for his father, unusually quiet. It was almost as though he could understand what was going on around him...as though those beautiful blue eyes, his namesake, held an unexpected wisdom in their cerulean depths.

"I know that Fai-san is gone, but...he needs you. He'll always need you. You have to tell him what is right...set him on the right path. If you don't, he will feel pain...and you don't want him to feel that, do you?"

That shocked Kurogane into a decision. He gingerly reached out and took the baby from her arms, pulling him to his chest. His eyes squeezed shut and he snuggled the baby against his chest, swallowing as grave diggers filled in the dirt over the baby's mother and the father's husband.

"I'll steer him in the right path. He won't feel what I felt. I swear, Yui. I swear it."

xxxx

"So don't fall in love, there's just too much to lose

If you're given the choice, then I'm begging you choose

To walk away, walk away, don't let her get you

I can't bear to see the same happen to you.

Now son, I'm only telling you this because life

Can do terrible things."

xxxx

"Now do you understand, Yui? Why I didn't want to tell you these things? I wanted you to just be happy...to not have to bear his death like I've had to all these years. I've been asking myself why ever since you were born, trying to think of something that I could have done or a way that I could have realized what was going on faster. But there is nothing. That is what happens when you fall in love, Yui. The person that you are with takes such a big part of yourself that you can't...you can't see anything else. You can only see them, and your own happiness. You can't even blame yourself for their death when you lose them, because you know that, in the end, they will be and always are the cause. There is nothing that you can do for anyone else. Eventually, they're going to leave, and you're just going to be alone. It's better if you never feel that pain. Just don't fall in love, Yui – there's too much to lose. And if you have to choose whether or not to fall in love, then please...I'm begging you to choose to walk away...please walk away. Don't let her get you. I can't bear to see the same happen to you."

There was no reply from the boy. Just the falling of the yellowed letter, upon which Fai had written his struggle...and why he had chosen not to tell Kurogane...and why he had went ahead and had the baby, had _Sora_, instead of letting him die and gaining more time. He had been so selfless, so amazing...Yui knew that he deserved to live much more. But he couldn't take this knowledge away...now, he knew that he had killed his mother. He would live with this for the rest of his life. There was nothing that he could do about it, no matter what.

"Yui...I'm only telling you this because life...it can do terrible things." Kurogane said softly, shaking his head. With that, he ascended the stairs again, trying to ignore the growing pain in his side. Tomorrow he would go get it examined, and they would try and suggest a biopsy and a bunch of other medical crap...but he knew what they would say.

As for his son...there was nothing more that Yui could do. Love only hurt; it had hurt Kurogane and Fai, his parents. It had caused Fai to become a horrid liar. It had caused their family to split apart. There was no way that he could do that to Chiaki...or to himself. Yui wasn't going to go through the pain of losing her. He couldn't love her. He would give her away before that happened.

After all, there was nothing more to life...because all things in life were terrible things.

xxxx

There was once a time in which Yui would destroy anything that made Chiaki-chan cry...but what could he do when he was the cause of her tears?

The noirette's eyes landed on her shaking form, her head in her hands as she cried. He still couldn't believe that he had been able to say the things that he had...but it was for their own good. It was better for him to not have her than to indulge his feelings and lose her later. He didn't want to become his father, after all. It was better to withdraw, to never know what it felt like to have his feelings returned.

Yui turned to leave the girl where she was, trying to ignore the way that his heart was crying out in pain. He had told her so many terrible things...had said words that he would never want to say to her. But he had fallen for her; it was his fault. And because it was his fault, other people were going to get hurt. Just like his father.

The boy had learned now; he destroyed everything that he touched. His mother, his father...he couldn't bear to be the cause of more misery for the one girl that meant anything to him.

"Y-Yui-chan...do you really mean what you said? That you've...always thought of me as your annoying little sister?"

The tearful words were nearly Yui's undoing. He couldn't believe that she was still referring to him as 'Yui-chan' – it should have just been Suwa by this point. He had thought that their friendship was destroyed when he'd insulted her.

Though he tried to keep going, Yui's body decided that he was going to stop and face these words before he went from her for good. It was their graduation day; he would never see Chiaki-chan again after this. It was for the best – there was no way that he could be with her, so what was the point of starting a relationship? After all, these feelings would fade one day. He would make sure that the regret and the guilt that he felt right now would be overshadowed by his desire to protect her. One day...one day, she would understand. She would learn what he had learned.

Yui just had to trust that she wouldn't have to learn the hard way, as he had.

"You were never anything to me." The words were emotionless, cold...just as he had practiced them in his mind. "I don't want anything with you. I barely tolerated your friendship, _Monou_. I'm glad that you asked me today just so that I could shoot you down. I've been waiting to do it for weeks."

The sound that Chiaki made was like she was being stabbed through the heart. Yui had to force himself not to turn around immediately apologize – she would see the tears in his eyes and know that it was all a facade, that he was barely able to stand right now and not crumple to the floor in a ball. He just wanted all of this to go away...to be alone, where he wouldn't hurt anyone.

All Yui could think about was that Chiaki was going to end up like his mother if they were together. So he would stop it – he wouldn't allow her to be hurt.

"YOU WILL REGRET THIS!" The girl screamed, propelling his feet forward. Yui wondered numbly why it had taken this long.

"You will regret this, Yui-chan...," She whispered. Those were the last words he heard from her that day; and at the sound of footsteps behind him, he realized that it was over. There was no fixing what had been broken. The noirette had gotten what he had asked for.

Slow, so slow, he fell to the ground, trying to compose himself. Taking shuddering breaths, he pushed back the enormous tidal wave of regret encompassing every part of himself.

_'I love you...,' _

xxxx

"Now son, I'm only telling you this because life can do terrible things."


End file.
